


Home for the Holidays

by creatureofhobbit



Category: Scream (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-04 23:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11001528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creatureofhobbit/pseuds/creatureofhobbit
Summary: What could have happened if S3 was continuing with the original cast instead of this reboot. It's the Christmas break after the Lakewood 5's first semester in college and the friends are all reunited, but Emma doesn't want to be there, Audrey's unsure of Noah's girlfriend and Emma's roommate, and someone has plans for the Lakewood Five...





	1. Chapter 1

Even as Emma drove ever closer down the familiar roads to Lakewood, a part of her knew she didn’t want to be there. It was a relief to listen to the chatter of Elizabeth in the next seat, about sorority rush, the annoying person on their corridor who had played Summer of 69 constantly on repeat until her long suffering roommate had thrown her iPod into the pond outside their dorm, the professor in the drama department rumoured to be dating a student…wait. That brought the memory of Seth Branson and Brooke back to mind. It was always the same. It didn’t matter what she did, Emma could never fully escape the memories.

She had deliberately chosen Los Angeles for college as a) a place that was far away from Lakewood, and b) a big city where she could hopefully get lost in the crowd, not be recognised by everyone as That Girl Who Was At The Centre Of The Lakewood Murders. Unfortunately, the story had been told so often in the news that everyone knew exactly who Emma was anyway. This had worked out well for Noah, who had managed to meet the one person who was as interested in serial killers as he was, who had recognised him straight away, and to make a long story short, was now Noah’s girlfriend.

Elizabeth, her roommate and the first person Emma had met in college, had of course known who Emma was, but had understood Emma’s need not to talk about it and had always made sure to talk about other things. Elizabeth was from Seattle, where she lived with her mother, but happened to have family on her father’s side who were getting together in the area for some big party, so she had come home with Emma for the Christmas break. Hopefully this would help with some distraction for her, to have something else to think about so she didn’t have to think about everything that had happened before she left Lakewood.

 

Sheriff Acosta was out when Stavo and Brooke arrived. That wasn’t a shock; Stavo knew that his father was working a lot of long hours at the time. Kieran Wilcox’s killer had still not been identified, and Miguel Acosta was facing pressure from his superiors to crack that one and establish exactly how some ass in a mask had managed to sneak into the prison and just kill him like that.

There was a copy of the local paper lying on the table, open to a story headlined: “Mayor Blackwell Formally Opens Kids’ Playpark”. Stavo went to remove it, but too late: Brooke had already seen it.

“It’s still strange,” Brooke said, pushing the paper away, “seeing someone else in the mayor’s role.”

“I asked Kieran that once,” Stavo replied. “Whether it bothered him seeing my dad as sheriff, after what had happened to his. He told me he was okay with it, that he knew someone had to take over and why should it not be my dad? Guess I’m looking at that in a whole new way now.”

“I still can’t understand how Kieran’s dead like that, how someone managed to get in, and no one has a clue yet who killed him,” Brooke began, but was interrupted by the sound of her phone. “Emma. The last one to reply to that group text about meeting later. She just said ‘Okay’. Weird. Audrey sounds like she really wants to meet up. I get the impression college isn’t going too well for her. And Noah was excited about introducing us all to his new girlfriend. But Emma seems kinda flat about the whole thing.”

“It’s sometimes hard to tell via text, Brooke,” Stavo pointed out. “And if she only just arrived in town, she’s probably tired. She might not seem so bad face to face.”

“I hope so.” Brooke replied. “I know she was feeling a little strange about coming back here. But nothing’s happened to any of us, or to anyone here, since we all left for college. And looking at everything outside, and in here with everything ready for Christmas, it seems hard to imagine that anything bad could happen.”

 

“Is everything okay for you so far?” the receptionist at the Crescent Palms asked as the man who had checked in a few days earlier made his way down the stairs.

“Everything is just fine, thank you. In fact I would say it is a lot better than when I was here years ago.”

“So you know Lakewood well?” the receptionist asked.

“I grew up here, although I haven’t lived here for many years now. But I thought I would come back for a visit, and I’m planning to look up a few old friends while I’m here.”

The receptionist nodded. “I hope you enjoy your time back here. Let me know if you need anything during your stay, Mr. James.”

 

Audrey had never really got to know Riley, although everyone had always spoken highly of her. She acknowledged she had had her clashes with Zoe, and she felt guilty about that now. And after everything that Noah had been through, he deserved to be happy.

But she swore that if Jenna Baxter opened her mouth one more time, she’d find something painful to shove in it.

Noah had described Jenna as being just like him with their shared fascination regarding what made serial killers tick. But Noah would never have greeted Emma with “Oh my God! I can’t believe Piper Shaw was your half sister!” followed by some stupid remark about Jake Fitzgerald having been hot, and then she started asking questions about Kieran until Noah eventually changed the subject.

“I think she’s nervous,” Stavo had tried to explain to Audrey when Jenna got up to get them all drinks. “Meeting everyone for the first time. Remember when you all first met me? What was it you said to me, Brooke? Something about my fanboy thing with the Lakewood Six?”

Brooke laughed. “It was something like that. So, what you’re saying is Jenna has some kind of fangirl thing going on?”

“Yeah. Remember how most of you didn’t like me when I first moved to town? And then we all got to know each other. She’s just excited, but in time she’ll stop seeing us as the Lakewood Five and start seeing us as people.”

“Thank you, Stavo.” Noah leaned over to reply. “The first time we met she was like that with me over my podcasts.”

“Being the only person outside of Lakewood to listen?” Stavo quipped.

“Whatever, funny guy. But please, give her a chance.” Noah replied.

“Okay, just for you.” Audrey replied, and Brooke chipped in “I’ll start the distraction now. So, Emma, we haven’t heard anything much about California. Who was that guy you were in that picture of on Instagram? It looked like a Hawaiian night. Is there anything you want to share with your friends? And if not, why the hell not?”

“Oh…Seb.” Emma shrugged. “I think his boyfriend might have a few things to say about that. Besides, I’m off guys for a while anyway.”

Jenna looked as if she were about to say something, but Elizabeth jumped in before she could. “So, Emma and I are all set for the ODT rush when we get back to campus.”

“ODT? What’s that?” Audrey asked.

“Omega Delta Tau? Like, the biggest sorority on campus?” Elizabeth said, as though she were talking to a five year old.

Audrey frowned. “You’re doing the whole sorority thing?”

Elizabeth stared at her as though she had grown another head.

That was another thing. Elizabeth Irving, this girl Emma had brought back home with her. Might as well have just called her Nina Patterson and have done with it. Looking at Elizabeth, and the way Elizabeth spoke to her, reminded Audrey all over again of the days when Emma pulled away from her, how she’d hung out with the likes of Nina, Tyler and Will, and the way they had reacted whenever Audrey tried to talk to Emma again. And okay, Audrey had eventually grown to like Brooke and Jake, but she would never forgive Nina Patterson for everything. Even now, the way Emma had hung on Elizabeth’s every word all night, when she had been distant with Audrey, brought it all back.

Thank God for Brooke and Stavo, who were their usual selves. And Jenna was only going to be there for a few days before going on to her own family, so once she was gone Audrey would get to have some proper time with Noah again. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was going to be in town for a while longer.

“It’s not just you,” Brooke leaned over and whispered. “She’s been distant with all of us.”

“It’s not only that,” Audrey replied, although that did make Audrey feel a little better. “It’s Gina. We had this stupid fight a couple of weeks ago. Since then she’s sent me one text saying she needed her space and now she just won’t reply to me at all.”

“Maybe now she’s home, you should try talking to her in person. Sometimes it’s easier that way,” Brooke suggested, although as she glanced at Emma, who was now laughing at something Elizabeth was saying, Audrey wasn’t so sure it was working in that particular case. But she would try it with Gina, hopefully get through to her that way.

 

Gina wouldn’t reply to Audrey’s texts. She wouldn’t see her tomorrow, or the next day, or the next.

She lay stuffed in the trunk of her own car where she had for several days, since the fight she had with Audrey.

They would find her soon.

Meanwhile, in a room in the Crescent Palms, someone took out a photograph of the Lakewood Five, circled Audrey’s face…


	2. Brandon's Reason Why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth triggers Emma's memories of Kieran, Audrey becomes concerned for Gina, and Maggie learns the whole truth about the incident at the school dance when Miguel Acosta receives an anonymous delivery he thinks is from Brandon James.

“Hey, Sheriff!” Deputy Leanne Moore greeted Sheriff Acosta as he walked into the station. “Thanks for the gift!”

“Excuse me?” Miguel frowned.

“As if you don’t know,” Deputy Moore continued, “it’s all piled up right there on your desk, and the delivery was definitely addressed to you! Sheriff Hudson would never let us have this in here at Christmas.”

As Miguel walked over to his desk, took in the big pile of mistletoe that someone had dumped on there, he told himself it was some kind of mistake. It had to be. He knew exactly why Clark Hudson hadn’t wanted mistletoe in the office, and he wouldn’t have wanted it either. Someone screwed up, had to be.

Then he looked at the label on the delivery, saw the numbers 12.12.93 written on it, and he knew exactly what they meant…

_December 1993._

_As Miguel Acosta approached George Washington High School, he noticed a group of his friends all laughing about something. Well, most of them. Kevin Duval didn’t look particularly amused._

_“Hey, Acosta, you gotta hear this.” Clark Hudson turned towards him. “Duval here’s got competition for taking Maggie to the Mistletoe Madness dance. And guess who it is? Brandon James!”_

_“What?” Miguel asked. He knew that Brandon James lived next door to Kevin’s girlfriend, and that she was more tolerant of Brandon than a lot of people, but what Clark was describing sounded far fetched._

_“It’s true,” Hudson went on. “Apparently he’s told her that she could do so much better than Kev, and he thinks he can be the one to do it.”_

_“I wouldn’t take any notice of that,” Miguel shook his head. “If she didn’t want to be with you, all she would have to do is end it herself without getting him involved. She already agreed to go to the dance with you, right? Just forget about it, laugh it off.”_

_“Screw that,” Duval pushed past him to get to his locker, opened it and slammed it shut again. “I’m gonna teach that asshole a lesson he’s never gonna forget.”_

 

“So, did you have a good time last night?” Maggie asked as Emma and Elizabeth came down for breakfast the next morning.

Elizabeth snorted. Maggie raised her eyebrows at her, but decided not to say anything.

“It’s just…Did you actually like your friends in high school?” Elizabeth took a sip of her juice, not seeming to notice the look on Emma’s face when she asked the question. “Okay, Brooke seemed nice enough, but the rest of them? Noah’s obsession with serial killers is kind of weird, Stavo’s just plain creepy, and what could you have possibly had in common with Audrey growing up?”

Emma froze. “You know who once asked me that? Kieran.”

“Oops.” Elizabeth blushed and looked embarrassed. 

“Elizabeth, I was wondering if I could just have a moment alone with Emma?” Maggie asked. As soon as Elizabeth left the room, Maggie said “It was unfortunate that Elizabeth used the same wording as Kieran. But I could tell that something didn’t seem right when you came back. You didn’t seem happy. Is there anything you want to talk about?”

“It’s hard to explain.” Emma began. “It’s like when I’m in college, I can be me again, be Emma, not Piper Shaw’s half sister, not one of the Lakewood Six. But when I’m around them all, I’m Emma from the Lakewood Six again. The stupid questions from Noah’s girlfriend didn’t help. I look at them, and I see Jake, and Will, Nina and Tyler. I see Audrey confronting me over abandoning her. And I don’t want to be reminded of that.”

“But you went through such a lot with them,” Maggie pointed out. “Audrey saved your life.”

“I know that, and I feel guilty,” Emma said. “You’re right. I should make more of an effort with them.”

“And as for Elizabeth,” Maggie went on, “don’t let yourself be too heavily influenced by her.”

“You don’t like her?” Emma asked.

“I hardly know her,” Maggie replied. “There’s something about her that reminds me of someone, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“Nina Patterson?” Emma asked. “Audrey said something like that last night. I remember you never really liked her either.”

Maggie was about to reply, but her phone rang before she had the chance. “Miguel?” she asked. “What, now?” She paused to allow Miguel to speak, then said “Okay, I’m on my way over.” She turned to Emma and said “I have to go in to work now. But think about what I said. Don’t be so quick to dismiss your old friends.”

 

Audrey was determined that it was time to have this out once and for all. Instead of making calls to Gina that were just going to get ignored, she’d turn up there, refuse to move until Gina saw her if she had to.

There was no sign of Gina’s car, but her mother’s was there, so Audrey knocked at the door anyway.

“Audrey?” Mrs McLane stared at her, confused. “Isn’t Gina supposed to be with you?”

“With me?” Audrey repeated.

“I had a text saying she’d gone up to New York to meet up with you, and that was the last I heard from her,” Gina’s mother explained.

“Gina’s not been with me,” Audrey frowned. “And she’s not replying to my texts either. Something’s wrong.”

 

“So, you had a delivery of mistletoe,” Maggie began. “Are you sure that it wasn’t one of your deputies trying to do something for your team for Christmas, or even some kind of mixup?”

“Look at the date on this label, Maggie,” Miguel pointed to it. “12.12.93. December 12th 1993 was the date of the Mistletoe Madness dance. And I doubt any of my deputies would even remember that, or care.”

“But I still don’t understand why someone would send you all that mistletoe.” Maggie replied. 

“There are things you didn’t know about what happened at the Mistletoe Madness Dance,” Miguel began. “When Brandon showed up…there was more to it than you knew. He built up the courage to go…because Kevin’s friends…because we…made him think you were going to be his date.”

 

_“You gotta check this out, Acosta.” Kevin Duval handed Miguel a scrappy piece of paper. As Miguel read it, his heart sank. He’d hoped that Kevin would calm down and quit making those stupid threats against Brandon James, and the next day he’d just forgotten about it altogether._

_“Dear Brandon, of course I would love to go to the dance with you. Meet me at the entrance to the high school at 8:30pm. Don’t say anything to anyone as I haven’t broken it to Kevin yet. Love, Maggie.” Miguel looked at the paper in disgust. “What is this shit? I thought you were letting this go.”_

_“Are you kidding me?” Brett Kenner asked. “The guy’s making moves on Kev’s girlfriend. If anything happened between me and Laura, I’d be tempted to do the same thing.”_

_There was another one who could do better than her current boyfriend, Miguel thought regarding Laura, but he wasn’t going to say anything._

_“It’s not too late,” Miguel pleaded. “Let me rip this up now, forget about it.”_

_“Don’t be such a pussy, Acosta,” piped up Dara Aldean, Miguel’s current crush. “What’s the worst that could happen? So he walks in, sees Maggie with Kevin, runs out again. Big deal.”_

_It was the moment that Miguel should have grabbed the letter, ripped it up. Instead, he sighed, handed it back to Kevin. “Do what you want, Duval,” he said. “It’s nothing to do with me.”_

 

“And you know the rest of the story,” Miguel finished. “Brandon turned up at the dance, he took his mask off, you screamed, and Brett, Trent and Mike went over and attacked him.”

“They said they thought Brandon was attacking me,” Maggie shook her head. “But they set him up the whole time. They knew exactly what was going on. And Kevin acted the hero, telling everyone he was saving me. And I remember you that night, trying to break it up. What was it you shouted at the guys? Something about ‘Still think it’s so funny?’ I didn’t understand what you meant at the time. But now I do. You knew.”

“I’m not proud of it, Maggie,” Miguel said awkwardly. “I’ve gone over it so many times, thinking about what I could have done differently. I could have ripped the letter up there and then…but Kevin could have just written another one. But I could have gone to Brandon James and warned him, or I could have gone to his brother Troy, told him what Kevin had planned. I could even have gone to you and warned you. But I kept quiet, trying to impress Dara. And I have regretted it every day of my life.”

“So this big parcel of mistletoe,” Maggie went on. “You think this is something to do with that night.”

“I do.” Miguel replied. “I think that Brandon James is still alive, and this is his message.”

“What did you just say?”

Sheriff Acosta turned around to see Audrey and Noah staring at him…


End file.
